Nettles might have put a sting into many childhoods, however one enterprise proprietor believes we must always make them our greatest good friend.
oreen Van Der Velde is at the moment harvesting recent nettles which she’ll use in myriad methods — together with tea, salves and hair tonics.
“It’s the younger ones you actually have to make use of, they’re the very best ones for tea,” says Noreen, explaining the plant’s season is April till June, “particularly when you’re making the likes of nettle soup or nettle pesto.
“I make nettle hummus; I even chopped nettles on the highest of store -bought pizza with further cheese just a few days in the past… Any of the recent liquid will kill the sting right away.
“There’s a tiny little flower on nettles and as soon as it begins to flower, you shouldn’t use the leaves then.”
Noreen was launched to the common-or-garden stinging nettle due to her nice grandmother — who lived till she was 103.
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Noreen is reaping the well being advantages of nettles
Noreen is reaping the well being advantages of nettles
“I at all times keep in mind the tales my mum would have instructed me about my nice granny, and she or he would have despatched her husband away off to fields to carry again the nettles and make nettle champ, nettle tea and nettle soup.
“They’re a tremendous plant or weed or herb or no matter you’d wish to name them… I simply grew to become completely obsessed.”
“Some older generations would have stung themselves,” she continues, “and stated it will have helped with arthritis and likewise hay fever.”
“They might have stung themselves initially of the season on the onset of signs,” she says, although not advocating the behaviour.
As she prepares to showcase her wares on the first Lough Neagh Artisans Market at Lock Keeper’s Cottage, Toome, right now (from 1-5pm), she explains how flying excessive led to a enterprise the place she retains her toes firmly on the bottom.
“I used to be a flight attendant for 26 years,” explains Noreen. “The bulk was lengthy haul and I began off within the early Nineties for Caledonian Airways.
“I did numerous very lengthy haul work with them at Gatwick.
“Everyone who is aware of me is aware of that I needed to work for British Airways so I attempted and was fortunate sufficient to get in. Nevertheless it was 1991 and throughout the Gulf Warfare and recession and so they put me on maintain till 1994.
“In between that I got here house and flew for Jersey European which grew to become FlyBe. I left them and went again to London in 1994.
“I flew lengthy haul for BA everywhere in the world which was fabulous.
“At 16, I went to catering school as a result of I at all times had a love and fervour for cooking. I did languages at college as a result of I knew I did need to journey, and I assumed the best way to do it’s to use for an airline.
“Principally, it was my training; when you get the journey bug, that was it, I used to be off.”
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Noreen has a spread of nettle-based merchandise
Noreen has a spread of nettle-based merchandise
In her 40s, and now working the Vandees Boutique B&B along with her husband Jean Paul in Aghalee, Noreen found how the health-boosting herb might assist with hormonal modifications brought on by the menopause.
“I used to be at house however was nonetheless going away rather a lot and I needed to remain at house extra. I simply felt my profession was coming to an finish and at that stage we have been doing the B&B. I used to be kind of mixing all of it.
“I used to be Googling pure treatments and nettles got here up and made me consider my great-grandmother. We have been rising our personal greens exterior and there have been nettles on the market.
“As soon as I began Googling most of the advantages, it was the start of my obsession. I began letting all of them develop and began ingesting recent nettle tea.
“With having the B&B, with nettle tea season, I’d offer it to our company as a little bit of a novelty.
“I used to be drying nettles for the winter to maintain me by way of, and company have been asking if I offered it.”
After taking voluntary redundancy from her airline job in 2016, she’s by no means regarded again, reaping the well being advantages of the inexperienced plant we so typically keep away from.
“Nettles are a pure painkiller; I’d also have a cup of nettle tea if I’d a headache — gone,” she says.
“I’d say earlier than anybody would embark on utilizing it, it may possibly work together with sure medicines, in order that they’d must examine with a educated herbalist or your physician if you wish to incorporate it into your life.”
The recent stuff apart — although Noreen says the stunning ingredient works in pasta dishes, soups and curries — she’s additionally concentrating on advertising and marketing a nettle salve and cordial, each of which will probably be popping out this yr.
“The cordial’s referred to as The Actual Sting. I labored with the Foodovation Centre within the North West Regional Faculty on that. I’m additionally growing a nettle gummy as effectively from my cordial.
“I make a hair tonic with nettles as a result of I felt my hair was getting thinner as I used to be getting older. I haven’t observed my hair getting any thinner since.”
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Considered one of Noreen’s nettle merchandise
Considered one of Noreen’s nettle merchandise
The Toome market is a pilot to showcase native produce, arts and crafts from the shoreline of Lough Neagh and proper throughout Northern Eire.
Wanting ahead to the occasion, Noreen’s geared as much as chat with customers, one thing she calls “nettle natter”.
“There’s numerous nettle natter available. Lots of people once they come to me are stunned, they might have had a nasty expertise once they have been a baby.
“It’s a little bit of an enemy for some individuals however I feel, make it your greatest good friend. I harvest nettles and so they’re all handpicked and inspected by me. Butterflies love nettles, therefore why I’ve a wee butterfly on my packaging.”
“Clearly put on your gloves,” she laughs when recommending how you can forage for nettles safely.
“The younger nettle tops are the very best and what it’s best to use. I usually use the primary few leaves of the tops and perhaps just a few leaves down.”
Her tea captured the eye of the Guild of Tremendous Meals, which awarded it a gold star Nice Style Award in 2019.
“I simply put it right into a pot with boiling water, go away it for 5 minutes or so and the recent nettle tea is scrumptious, very drinkable,” says Noreen, who stresses how nutrient-rich the plant is.
Nettles comprise nutritional vitamins A, C and Okay, and magnesium, iron, silica and zinc.
“It’s a tonic usually when you’re feeling run-down or torpid. In case you’d a cup of nettle tea, you may be supersonic,” she jokes.
Admission to the market right now is free and can embody cookery demonstrations and guests can take boat journeys from midday or bask in an eel supper at Grans.
For more information on Lough Neagh Artisans, see fb.com/loughneaghartisans.
For data on Noreen’s Nettles, see fb.com/NoreensNettles
